Pat Caputo - Lions and GM Bob Quinn continue to draft with purpose

Name recognition doesn’t make an NFL Draft. Ultimately whether the selected players piece together for a successful team does.

From that standpoint, general manager Bob Quinn and the Lions seem to have done well in 2018.

Is first-round pick Frank Ragnow really that piece you plug into the middle of the offensive line for a decade? My educated guess: Yes. The Lions didn’t just take a center in the first round, they took one who could be exceptional. The pick wasn’t based on only need, but where Ragnow ranked compared to other players overall.

Is Kerryon Johnson the ideal running back for the Lions’ scheme? Maybe. He is an often sensational pure runner, but must hold up physically. Truth is, he didn’t as well as ideal at Auburn.

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Is Quinn, who sees something in safety Tracy Walker most pundits don’t, right? Your guess is as good as mine.

It’s difficult to believe the Lions were able to get such excellent value in the fourth round by taking Da’Shawn Hand, the big (nearly 300 pounds), yet athletic (sub 4.9 40), defensive end from Alabama.

I had a vote for the Associated Press All-American team in 2017. One of my first-team offensive tackles was Tyrell Crosby from Oregon. The Lions got him in the fifth round. There is exceptional value in that pick, as well.

The Lions took a 245-pound fullback in the seventh round, Nick Bawden from San Diego State. You mean the Lions might not use a backup linebacker as a fullback in short-yardage situations this coming season?

Good.

The Lions didn’t address all their needs in this draft. No team ever does. And you can compare their picks to other teams and fret. Fair enough.

But I do feel the Lions’ roster is better now than prior to Thursday. They added good options. For one thing, offensive line depth, their most glaring problem since, well, forever, could be a strength as soon as 2018.

And if you add this draft to Quinn’s first two, it does present potential for the Lions in the long haul, starting with offensive linemen Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Joe Dahl, Ragnow and Crosby.

They have gotten two starting-caliber defensive linemen in A’Shawn Robinson and Anthony Zettel. Robinson has the potential to be more than just a starter. Linebacker Jarrad Davis struggled mightily as a rookie, but the new scheme should fit his skill-set better. Kenny Golladay has obvious potential as a wide receiver. The jury is still out on tight end Micheal Roberts, but he is a fluid athlete for his size.

Jamal Agnew is an explosive player, especially for a fifth-round pick. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin has an upside.

Johnson finally addressees the running back issue, and he may have a real fullback leading him through the hole. Imagine that.

There must be reasons Hand fell to the fourth round, but there is playmaking raw talent there.

We’ll still have to see about some other Quinn draft picks - Miles Killebrew, Teez Tabor, Jeremiah Ledbetter and Jake Rudock.

The roster is shaping up pretty well, though. You can at least see Quinn has a plan and is building the right way for the long range - via the draft.

Even the best plans don’t always work. There is no guarantee Quinn’s will result in the ultimate success - a Super Bowl.

But at least he’s not just throwing things up against the wall and hoping it sticks like the Lions used to do.